Hiawatha!

I've been here for three weeks now. Not gonna lie, it's been a very different summer. It's also been a really good one. Normally Kaylie and I are completely inseparable during the summer. If you find her, you find me. This year, we're still best friends, but we're realizing that we can have other friendships. I've made a lot of new friends this year and deepened some old friendships.

God really convicted me last week that I need to learn to love. I mean, I love my friends and my family; but when it comes to loving those who are different than me, I have a long way to go. During my "Jared talk" [:)] I was told that if I want to learn to love someone, I need to pray for them. It really works, too. (Imagine that!) I've been praying for those who I have trouble loving, and I find my heart changing towards them.

This has been a summer of hearing the voice of God, of learning His will, of obedience. It's been a summer of deeper friendships, long embraces, of tears. It's been a summer of multiple "counselor talks," of finally being in Blythe's cabin, of forced mouse abortions (remind me to tell you that story.) It's been a summer of being built up and torn down, of gaining and losing, of laughing and loving. It's been a summer to remember, and I'm so glad that it's not over yet.